Railroad-crossing gate



Feb; S s 19,27. I A 1,617,054

L. HIRSCH RAILROAD cnossme ens med June' 1926 :s Sharia-Sheet 1 L.HIRSCH Feb. 8,-1927. v 1,617,054

RAILROAD cnossma GATE Filed June 14, 1926 l 3 Shets-Sheetz gmmatozPatented Feb. 8, 1927. i I r LoUIs Russell, on

STATES" a r CZITNCINNATI, OHIO. I

RAILROAD-CROSSING- GATE.

Application filed June 14,

This invention relates to railroad crossing gates and has specialreference to a train operated' railroad crossing gate.

One important object ofthe invention is to provide an'improved generalconstruction tion isto provide novel means for releasing the pawl andratchet mechanism after the train has passed the crossing. p 7

. With the above and other objects in view 1 as will be hereinafterapparent, the inventionconsists in general of certain novel details ofconstruction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described,illustrated in'the accompanying drawings and specifically claimed.

' In the 'accompanyingdrawings like char acters of reference indicatelike parts in the several views, and: r i

1 Figurel is a plan view of a portion of a railroad track showing thegeneral arrange- V ment, of the gateft-he actuating mechanism,

the pawl' nd ratchet device and the releas therefor; v

' Figure2 is a side elevation of such a portion of the track anddisclosing the same .40 i -Figure 1 but showing the gate expanded.

parts as shown in Figure 1.

, Figure 31s a section on the line of Figure2.

Figure 1 is a section on the line 4.-4 of Figure 5 is a section on theline 55 of Figure 4 with the gate open. 7 Figure 61s a diagram showingthe general arrangement of the, mam parts ofthe device at-a crossing,details being omitted.

In. the present illustrat-ion'of the inven tion there is disclosed asectlon of a railroad track-havlng the usual palr of track railsflOsupported on ties 11. But one track is here shown but it will be obviousthat the device may be used for a, double track as well. I r

' .The roadway for vehicles is shown 'at- 12 and is indicated ascrossing the railroad at right angles although-this invei'ition can beroad at any 1926. Seria1i1\To;'115,911.

used with the vehicle road crossing the railangle. 7 It is to be notedthat the vehicle road is omitted from all figures but Figure 6 in 0r-vder' to more closely assemble the. workingparts in Figures 1 to 5 aswell as to show the device to a large scale. Reference is therefore tobe had to Figure' 6 for the proper general positions of the variouselements. J y; 1,

We will first consider the train controlled gate actuating means, passto the gate itself 7' a-nd'then explain the release mechanism by whichthe parts arep'ermitted to reassume their original positions.

Firmly fixedadjacent the railroad track at one side of the road is apost 13 whereon is pivotally mounted an arm 14 which ex tends towardsthe track normally at right angles thereto. 'This arm supports a: rec:tangular casing 15 which is also braced to the'post 13 by a brace arm 16pivoted on said post. This casing is open at the bot-' tom and slidablevertically in the casing is a gravity operated pawlmember 17 which hasits downward movement'limited to clear a pair of arcuate ratchet bars 18whiclinormally are supported in horizontal position on a horizontalframe 19 fixed to the postf13.

These ratchet bars are concentric to the post 13 and' theiradjacent'ends are connected byinclined springs 20 to posts 21 fixed tothe. frame 19 so that with little eifort these f 90 ratchet bars may belifted abovetheir normal positions so that they nay be engaged by thepawl 17 upon movement'of the cas-fing 15 about the p0st-13. As will beseen 1 from Figure 3 this casing proiectsover the track in such positionas to be engaged by a bumper on a train running on said track.

In order'to lift the ratchet bars there is provided on the insideofeachrail a cam rail 22 with ends curved away from the adjacent rails.These cam rails are held against the. track rails by coiled springs 23but yield to move inwardly when the flanges ;of the train wheels movebetween them and, These cam rails are sup- 'portedon a frame consistingof cross bars the-track rails.

24 and a longitudinal connecting bar 25.

Fixedto the cam rail adjacent the post-13 are tie rods 26 whichhavetheir free ends 1 each connected to one-[end of a lever v27 which ispivoted intermediate its ends tofthe frame 19, the other-endsof saidleversbex ing connected'to the respective ratchet bars oted to the camrails so that inward movement of the cam rails rotates this ratchetwheel; Mounted on the bar 25 is a pawl 31 which engages the ratchet tohold it from backward rotation and thus hold the cam rails in theirinwardly moved position so that the ratchet bars will be kept raised.

Thus when the cam rails are moved inwardly andethe casing swung aroundby the action of the train the parts will be held in such positionsuntil the pawl 31 is released.

by the action of spring 3 'Extending from the post 13 and in theopposite direction to the arm 14 is an arm 32 to which is connected oneend of a wire or cable 33 which normally extends vertically downward tothe frame 19 and passes under a guide pulley 34 carried by said frame.Thus whenever the casing is swung the cable will be drawn under thepulley 34 and stress on the cable will tend to restore the casing to itsnormal position.

Adjacent the side of the roadway 12 is a hollow post 35 wherein is apair of plates 36 forced apart by a compression spring 37. The upper or"these plates slides ona rod 38 extendin centrally of the post and theupper plate is provided with lugs 39 which project through verticalslots 40 formed on opposite sides of the post. To one of these lugs isattached the cable 33 which passes over suitable guide'pulleys 41 to thefoot of the hollow post and then ex tends vertically of the post. Thelower plate is fixed and upon the cable being pulled by movement of theswinging arm 32 the upper plate will be drawn downwardly and will bethere held so long as the arm '32 is prevented from swinging back tonormal posi tion as previously described. When the pawl 17 is releasedthe arm 32 is permitted to swing to normal and is caused to do this 3 7.The plates also have lugs 42, the lug of the upper plate moving in aslot 43 and the lug of the lower plate resting on the bottom of saidslot. To

these lugs 42 is connected a lazy'tongs gate 44 of sul'ficient length toextend across the roadway when expanded. The outer or free end of thisgate is supported on a roller 4!.

N ow it can be seen that when the'c'asing 15 is swung the gate 44 willbe projected across and close the roadway.

The release mechanism comprises a cam rail 46 which is mounted on aframe4'i to normally bear against a track'rail 10, being there heldbysprings 48. This cam rail is located across the roadway from thepreviously described mechanism so that it is only actuated by the trainafter the latter that the spring 37 assists in restoring the drum 51 andcam rail 46 to normal positions.

If it be desired to operate a second gate across the track from thefirst gate, a cable 54 may be connected to the cable 34 and extend underthe track to such gate. A spr'infg 55 normally holds the pawl 31 engagedwith the ratchet wheel 29. V

The operation having been described in detail it is merely necessary tostate that a train in its passage strikes the casing 15 and swings it toclose the gate. The gate is held closed until the train engages cam rail46 which causes release of the gate closing mechanism and permits theparts thereof to move to their normal positions.

There has thus been provided a simple and etlicient device of the kinddescribed and for the purpose specified.

' It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form andconstruction of the invention without departing from the material spiritthereof. It is not, theretore,desired to confine the invention to theexact form herein ShOWnaDtl described, but it"is desired to include allsuch as properly come within the scope claimed. 3 c

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is; i

1.,A crossing gate operating device including a swinging member normallyex tending into the path of a moving. train, a pawl carried by theswinging member, a ratchet bar over which said pawl'traverses, saidratchet bar being supported "for movement into and out of engagement bythe pawl and being normally out or" engagement therewith, train operatedmeans for moving the ratchet bar into engaged position, a

release for the latch mechanism, and anoperativeconnection between theswinging member and a gate. I l

2. A crossing gate operating device including a swinging member normallyextending into the path of a moving train, a pawl carried by theswinging member,a ratchet bar .over which said pawl traverses, saidratchet bar being supported for movement into and out of engagement bythe pawl and being normally out of ei'igagement therewith, a springpressed cam bar in the path of the wheels of a train and movable by saidwheels against the spring influence, an operative connection between thecam bar and ratchet bar to movethe latter to operative position uponmovement of the cam bar by a train, a latch mechanism connected to thecam bar to hold the latter in train moved position, a train operatedrelease for the latch mechanism, and an operative connection between theswinging member and a gate.

3. A crossing gate operating device including a swinging member normally-extending into the path of a moving train, a pawl carried by theswinging member, a ratchet bar over which said pawl traverses,saidratchet bar being supported for movement into and out of engagementby the pawl and being normally out of engagement therewith, a springpressed cam bar in the path of the wheels of a train and movable by saidwheels against the spring influence, an operative connection between thecam bar and ratchet bar to move the latter to operative position uponmovement of the cam bar by a train, a ratchet wheel revolubly mountedadjacent the cam bar, a link connected to the cam bar and eccentricallyconnected to said wheel, a pawl normally engaging the ratchet wheel, atrain operated mechanism to move said last pawl out of engagement withthe ratchet wheel, and means connected to the swinging memberforoperatinga gate.

4. A crossing gate operating device includin g a swinging membernormally extending into the path of a moving train, a pawl carried bythe swinging member, a ratchet bar over which said pawl traverses, saidratchet bar being supported for movement into and out of engagement bythe pawl and being normally out of engagement therewith, a springpressed cam bar in the path of the wheels of a train and movable by saidwheels against the spring influence, an operative connection between thecam bar and ratchet bar to move the latter to operative position uponmovement of the cam bar by a train, a ratchet wheel revolubly mountedadjacent the cam bar, a link connected to the cam bar and eccentricallyconnected to said wheel, a pawl normally engaging the ratchet wheel, asecond cam bar remote from the first bar but in the path of said trainwheels for movementthereby, spring means yieldingly holding the secondcam bar against movement,

ried by the swinging member, a ratchet bar over which said pawltraverses, said ratchet move'the latter to operative position uponmovement of the cam bar by a train, a

ratchet wheel revolubly mounted adjacent the cam bar, a link connectedto the cam bar and eccentrically connected to said wheel, a pawlnormally engaging the ratchet wheel, a second cam bar remote from thefirst bar but in the path of said train wheels for movement thereby,spring means yieldingly holding the second cam bar against movement, awinding drum operatively connected to the second cam bar, a cableconnecting the winding drum and second pawl, and means connected to theswinging member for operating 7 a gate. V

6. A1 crossing gate operating device including a swinging membernormally extending into the path of a moving train, a pawl carried bythe swinging member, a ratchet bar over which said pawl traverses, saidratchet bar being supported for movement into and out of engagement bythe pawl and being normally out of engagement therewith, a springpressed cam bar in the path of the wheels of a train and movable by saidwheels against the spring influence, an operative connection between thecam bar and ratchet a second cam bar remote fromthe first bar but in thepath of said train wheels for move ment thereby, spring means yieldinglyholding the second cam bar against movement, a winding drum operativelyconnected to'the second cam bar,a cable connecting the wind ing drum,and second pawl, an arm projecting from the swinging member, a gatepost, a stationary plate carried by said gate post, a sliding platecarried by the gate post, a spring urging said plates apart, a lazytongsgatehaving the levers at one end connected to said plates, an armprojecting from the swinging member, and a cable connecting the arma'nd'the movable plate and arranged to draw the movable plate toward thefixed plate upon movement of the swinging memher from normal position; V

lntestimony whereof I afi'ix' my slgnature LOUIS meson,

